Tara’s Travel Tales: “Sushi On A Plane” – an ESL story

“Sushi On A Plane”

Lesson Level: Advanced

I should start off by saying that my love for sushi, and Japanese food in general, is almost as great as my love for travel. One day last year, while I was backpacking in South East Asia with my mother and best friend, I got the opportunity to enjoy BOTH at the same time. Having not had breakfast at the hostel in Bangkok, Thailand we rushed to the airport with more than enough time to check in for our flight to Myanmar, and also check out the facilities for some grub.

To our great delight, we found a sushi restaurant that we had already fallen in love with a few weeks prior – and it was open at 8 am! My best friend Kellie and I looked at each other and without words we just knew: Sushi. On. A. Plane. Best idea ever! We sat down quickly, and ordered our favorite items with gusto – our mouths watering as we waited for our beautifully-wrapped to-go bags. There would be no airplane food for us lady bosses! No sir! We would have Sushi at 30,000 feet!

When we boarded the plane, we greeted all the flight attendants with an enthusiastic “MINGLAR BA” (Hello in Burmese…We had been so eager to say it), and got settled into our seats waiting for take-off. Eventually, we lifted into the air and soon after that we had the pleasure of enjoying delicious raw red tuna and salmon fried rice – and at that moment it didn’t matter that we were flying coach, cause we were living first class. Sometimes it’s the little indulgences in life that make such a difference. A short nap later, we were touching down in Mandalay, off in search of new adventures!

Now check your understanding by doing the following exercises!

Vocabulary Exercises:

Click here to see the Vocabulary for Sushi on a Plane!!!

Comprehension Questions:

1. What do I love ALMOST as much as travel?

• Sushi
• Breakfast
• Backpacks
• Naps
• Yes! Very good! I LOVE sushi and Japanese food in general.

2. Why were we hungry when we got to the airport?

• We were not hungry.
• We didn't have breakfast at the hostel.
• We didn't have breakfast at the hotel.
• It was dinner time.
• Yes! Perfect! We had missed breakfast. And you noticed the difference between HOSTEL and HOTEL!! Good eye!

3. Why did we want to have Sushi on a Plane?

• Because it was free.
• Because it was served on the airplane.
• Because we didn't want airplane food.
• Because it was our first time trying sushi.
• You are right! Most airplane food is not very good, and since we LOVE Sushi - and we think it is classy - so we decided to indulge.

4. What does ''it didn’t matter that we were flying coach, cause we were living first class'' mean?

• We felt like our Economy class flight was made better by the sushi.
• We felt like Economy class was as good as First Class.
• We were leaving First class and going to Economy class.
• We were unhappy with our experience on the airplane.
• Absolutely! Having sushi on the plane made our cheap seats much more enjoyable - even if there wasn't much space for our legs.

5. What does ''it's the little indulgences in life that make such a difference'' mean?

• You should do whatever you want whenever you want.
• Being indulgent and liking nice things is bad.
• It is better to avoid all luxuries.
• Little luxuries can improve an imperfect situation.
• Excellent! You are right! Having something nice, that I don't normally have all the time, makes me happy.

Discussion Questions:

1. Have you ever traveled to Asia? If so, where? If not, where would you like to go?
2. Where do you usually stay when you travel? Camp, Hostel, Hotel, Resort, Apartment?
3. Have you ever flown in an airplane? If so, do you like it? Why or Why not?
4. Do you like airplane food? Why or why not? Do you like Japanese food? Sushi?
5. What is your favorite indulgence? How often to you indulge in this?

If you are interested in my classes, please email me at [email protected]. Take care!